NU-Step

Yesterday I attended an end-of-the-school-year karaoke performance by Nu-Step, a special education program for teens. It was fun! The kids did a great job and I especially enjoyed laughing at the funny parts. Even the teacher and aides were hilarious.

But what impressed me most was the sense of camaraderie between the adults.

Most of the people in the audience were family members of the students or staff. Many of them already knew each other and they all shared knowledge of what it's like to deal with special needs every day. It wasn't just an audience, it was a community.

Life is often not easy for people who must deal with special needs, whether their own or a family members. But the blessing of instantly connecting emotionally with others who have to cope with similar things is something "normal" people don't often get to experience.

Special Education Teachers

On my other blog, http://onwordsblog.blogspot.com I posted a message about teachers and that made me think about how much Special Education teachers deserve our appreciation. Although they usually have smaller classes, the amount of time they must spend filling out IEP forms and meeting with parents is overwhelming. And, because the needs of their students are all different, preparing lesson plans takes even more time than other teachers must spend.

Special Ed teachers may have the same students for several years. Depending on the needs of the students, they may not see a lot of progress, and can become discouraged about their jobs.

Of course some students with special needs are "mainstreamed." Some are integrated in regular classes, and the teachers working with them function a lot like teacher's aides with the other kids in the same classes. Others only go to the Special Ed teacher for part of the school day.

Often the parents of kids with special needs seem to expect their teachers to work miracles and teach their children to function at the same level as other kids the same age. Others are in denial that their children have special needs at all. Either way, parents can sometimes give the teachers a hard time.

Special Ed teachers have important, but difficult jobs. If you know any, please let them know you appreciate what they do.

More on Teaching

     While I was a substitute teacher I would usually teach six-week summer school classes of kids with special needs. 

     One morning I read a book about a girl who wished she could be her wealthy friend to my class of kids with learning disabilities. Then I went around the circle and asked each student, "If you could be anyone you wanted, who would you be?"  

Since the students were mostly boys, the majority of them said they wished they could be their favorite super heroes, which wasn't surprising. 

     The boy at the end of the row had Cerebral Palsy so he used a wheelchair and had great difficulty using his hands and speaking. When it was his turn to answer my question he managed to get out the words, "I... like ... to... be... me."

     It happened that his family went to the same church I did, so I knew they were loving and supportive, and had obviously taught him what was really important in life.

     That was years ago, but sometimes even now when I have problems and start wishing my life were different or that I were capable of things I can't do, remembering that boy's words helps me appreciate what I do have.

Special Education

     When I was a substitute teacher I often got called to work in Special Ed classes. Some classroom aides told me most subs would just stand around and say stuff like, "Aw, the poor things" and let the aides do all the work. They were glad to get a substitute teacher who actually knew how to work with the kids.

     I remember one class where the aide had told me before school started about a firm rule; only one kid at a time was allowed to leave the room to use the bathroom. 

     Later when she went on her break a pair of boys, one in a wheelchair, came up to me and the one who was walking explained his friend needed a drink of water. 

     "He needs my help to reach the fountain because he's in a wheelchair," the boy told me. 

     I replied that all the fountains at the school were low enough for him to reach. 

     But the boy persisted. With a pseudo-sympathetic expression he insisted his friend really needed his help because of his disability.

     In tones laden with sarcasm I replied, "Aw, the poor little crip."

     The whole class burst out laughing and the two boys returned to their desks with bright red faces.

     I wonder how many other subs had actually fallen for that trick.

Why Me?

Since this blog will be about special needs it might be helpful for readers to know why I'm interested in that topic.

As a child I suffered from severe chronic asthma and was hospitalized and put on oxygen several times. I was also sent to a convalescent home for a while, where I met lots of kids with various disabilities. In high school I spent two summers volunteering at a day camp program run by the Marin Society for Crippled Children and Adults. After graduating from college I learned American Sign Language, worked in the Dormitories at California School for the Deaf for nine years, and married the interpreter who had taught me ASL. We raised three Deaf foster sons who had assorted special needs in addition to our birth daughter after I had developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (yes, it is a real disease) and chronic neck and back pain due to car accidents. I also taught in many Special Education classes as a substitute teacher and was a Sign Language interpreter in several churches.